Keyhole cover for lock



nz M...

April 1960 H. F. DIES ETAL I 2,931,209

KEYHOLE COVER FOR LOCK Filed July 23, 1958 ELIE-- l INVENTOR. HERBERT F. DIES no ROBERT D. GROGAN FINN G. OLSEN ATTORNEY United States Patent KEYHOLE COVER FOR LOCK Herbert F. Dies and Robert D. Grogan, Detroit, Mich., asslgnors to Hurd Lock & Manufacturing Co., Detroit, Mrch., a corporation of Michigan Application July 23, 1958, Serial No. 750,462 8 Claims. (Cl. 70-455) "The present invention relates to a keyhole cover for a lock, and more particularly to such a cover which is constructed and arranged to protect the lock against dust and dirt entering the key plug and against ice forming in the keyhole or around the key plug. it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved keyhole cover for a lock which is characterized by its effectiveness as a weatherseal and its simple construction which facilitates assembling the same at low cost.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an improved keyhole cover of the type which is pivotally mounted for lateral movement from its normal position in front of the keyhole and spring means to urge the cover back to its normal position, said cover being constructed and. arranged to carry a preloaded rubber disk for overlying said keyhole and for providing an effective weatherseal 'therearound.

It. is still. another object of the present invention to provide an improved keyhole cover of the. foregoing character wherein the rubber disk has a flexible lip formation for enclosing the keyhole.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide an improved keyhole cover ofv the foregoing character wherein said cover has a body portion in which said rubber disk is mounted and a scalp holds said rubber disk in position in a preloaded condition.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide an improved keyhole cover of the foregoing character wherein the rubber disk and the body portion are constructed and arranged so that they can be assembled in a quick and easy manner and a scalp can be readily fitted over the outer side of the body portion securing the rubber disk in place.

Other objects of this invention will appear in the following description and appended claims, reference being had tothe accompanying drawings forming a part of thisspecification wherein like reference characters designate corresponding parts in'the several views.

In the drawings:

l Figure 1 is a' fragmentary sectional view ofv a..1ock embodying one' form of the present invention;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary section taken on the line 22 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a front elevation of the rubber disk used in the embodiment shown in Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a side elevation of the rubber disk, partly in section;

Figure 5 is a front elevation of a modified form of the rubber disk;

Figure 6 is a side elevation of the rubber disk shown in Figure 5; and

Figure 7 is a fragmentary section of a modified lock containing the rubber disk shown in Figure 5.

Before explaining the present invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and arrangement inder lock 10, for which the present invention is primarily adapted, is shown having a cylinder body 12 including an open ended head portion 14. The latter normally will have. a scalp 16. Carried within the cylinder body 12 .is a conventional key plug.18 which has its keyhole adjacent the open end of .the head portion 14.

A keyhole cover 20 is mounted on the axially outer side of=the head portion 14 for pivotal movement. around the axis of'the pin 22. In its normal position, shown in Figure 1, the cover 20 will close the open end of head portion 14, and when access to the key plug 18 is desired the cover 20 can be pivoted to one side.

Spring, means are utilized to urge the cover 20 back to its normal position. The construction employed for this purpose can best be understood by reference to Figures 1 and 2. The cover 20 has a hollow post 24 through which the pin. 22 extends. 'Radially spaced from. the post 22 is a flange 26 that extends partially around post 22.and terminatingat 28 and 30. Fitting between the post 24 and the partial flange 26 is a torsion spring 30 which has radially outwardly extending ends 32 and 34. The head portion 14 has a notch 36 therein which has end walls 38 and 40in radial alignment with the normal positionsoftheflange ends 28 and 30. The ends 32 and' 3 4 of torsionspring30 overlap the ends 28 and 30 and fit against end walls 38 and '40. When the cover 20 is pivoted to one side or the other the partialflange 26 will urge one end of spring 30 towards the other end, a

and on release of cover 20, the spring 30 will return the cover 20 to'its normal position shown in Figures 1 and 2.

A coil spring '42 is positioned between'the. head of pin 22 and thewall portion 44. This construction allows limitedaxial movement of cover 20 from the head-portion 14.

The cover 20 has a body portion 46 in which'is' an opening-'48. The latter is larger than and is. in axial alignment, with the opening in. the head portion 14 when the cover" 20 is in. its normally closed position. ."The axially outer end of opening 48 is enlarged .as at '50 to. form an axially outwardly facing shoulder 52.

. .A-disk' 54. madefrom' soft rubber or suitable rubberlike. material'is fitted. into the opening 48. Thedisk 54 has an enlarged endIforming an axially inwardly facing .shoulder .56 which is seated on the axially outwardly .facing shoulder52. The opposite end. of disk 54 has a concavepo'rtion '58 with a peripheral .lip 60. .The lip60 projects beyond.tl1e.inner surface 'of the body portion 46 into engagementwiththe scalp- '16 so as to provide a weathertight seal around the periphery of the opening of the head portion 14.

Positioned on the outside of the body portion 46 is a scalp 62 which provides ornamentation and at the same time covers the hinge assembly for the cover 20, and also retains the rubber disk 54 in place. When assembling these parts the rubber disk 54 is pressed into position by the scalp 62 so as to keep the rubber in a preloaded condition. For this purpose the rubber disk 54 may have raised projections or an axially outwardly projecting portion on its outer side such as that provided at 64 by the chamfered portion, which prior to positioning the scalp 62 in place will project outwardly of the outer surface of the body portion 46. This aids in keeping the rubber in a state of compression after the scalp 62 has been fitted on the body portion 46 so that the rubber disk remains snugly in place and assures that the lip 60 Wlll always be urged snugly against the face of the scalp 16. This then keeps water, dust, dirt and the like from entering the opening to the key plug 18.

' If desired, a slightly modified form of rubber disk can be used. One such modification is shown in Figures 5, 6 and 7 where the top of the shoulder portion 56a 'has been removed to provide a flat surface.- The disk head portion, a keyhole cover pivotally connected to said a head portion for movement transversely of the open end of said head portion, said cover having a body portion with an opening of larger diameter than the open end in said head portion and in axial alignment with said open end when the cover is in its closed position, the axially outer end of said opening being enlarged for at least a portion of its circumference so that the body portion has an axially outwardly facing shoulder, a soft rubber-like disk fitted in said opening and having an axially inwardly facing shoulder seated on the outwardly facing shoulder of said body portion, the axially inner end of said disk projecting beyond the inner face of said body portion into engagement with said head portion, and a scalp overlying the axially outer side of said cover pressing said disk into its seated position.

2. In a lock having a keyhole cover as claimed in claim 1, wherein said axially outwardly facing shoulder of the body portion and the axially inwardly facing shoulder of the rubber-like disk are each continuous.

3. In a lock having a keyhole cover as claimed in claim 1, wherein said axially outwardly facing shoulder of the body portion and the axially inward facing shoulder of the rubber-like disk are interrupted by flat abutting segments preventing rotation of said disk.

4. In a lock having a cylinder body with an openended head portion and a key plug carried in said cylinder body with the keyhole of said key plug positioned in said head portion, a keyhole cover pivotally connected to said head portion for movement transversely of the open end of said head portion, said cover having a body portion with an opening of larger diameter than the open end in said head portion and in axial alignment with said open end when the cover is in its closed position, a soft rubber-like disk fitted in said opening and having its axially inner end projecting beyond the inner face of said body portion into engagement with said head portion, the axially inner end of said disk being concave so that the engaging portion thereof is an annular lip, and a scalp overlying the axially outer side of said cover and urging said disk axially inward.

5. In a lock having a cylinder body with an open-ended 4 head portion and a key plug carried in said cylinder body with the keyhole of said key plug positioned in said head portion, a keyhole cover pivotally connected to said head portion by a pin extending generally parallel to the axis of said cylinder body on which said cover can be moved transversely of the cylinder body, spring means operatively connected to said head portion and said cover for urging the latter to a position closing the openend of said head portion, said cover having a body portion with an opening of larger diameter than the open end in said head portion and in axial alignment with said open end when the cover is in its closed position, a soft rubberlike disk fitted in said opening and having its axially inner end projecting beyond the inner face of said body portion into engagement with said head portion, the axially inner end of said disk being concave so that the engaging portion thereof is an annular lip, and a scalp overlying the axially outer side of said cover and urging said disk axially inward.

6. In a lock having a cylinder body with an open-ended head portion and a key plug carried in said cylinder body with the keyhole of said key plug positioned in said head portion, a keyhole cover pivotally connected to said head portion by a pin extending generally parallel to the axis of said cylinder body on which said cover can be moved transversely of the cylinder body, spring means operatively connected to said head portion and said cover for urging the latter to a position closing the open end of said head portion, said cover having a body portion with an opening of larger diameter than the open end in said head portion and in axial alignment with said open end when the cover is in its closed position, the axially outer end of said opening being enlarged for at least a portion of its circumference so that the body portion has an axially outwardly facing shoulder, a soft rubber-like disk fitted in said opening and having an axially inwardly facing shoulder seated on said axially outwardly facing shoulder, the axially inner end of said disk being concave so that an annular lip is formed, said lip projecting beyond the inner face of said body portion into engagement with said head portion, and a scalp overlying the outer side of said cover urging said disk axially inward.

7. In a lock having a keyhole cover as claimed in claim 6, wherein said axially outwardly facing shoulder of the body portion and the axially inwardly facing shoulder of the rubber-like disk are continuous.

8. In a block having a keyhole cover as claimed in claim 6, wherein said axially outwardly facing shoulder of the body portion and the axially inward facing shoulder of the rubber-like disk are interrupted by flat abutting segments preventing rotation of said disk.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,369,506 Voight Feb. 22, 1921 1,718,723 Williams June 25, 1929 2,355,300 Iohnstone Aug. 8, 1944 2,388,228 .Iohnstone Oct. 30, 1945 2,702,468 Spain Feb. 22, 1955 

